Composite materials combine the properties of multiple materials into a single material system. For example, fiber-reinforced plastic composites combine the mechanical strength of fibers with the processability and toughness of a polymer matrix to create a lightweight structural material.
Nanoparticles have unique properties that result from their small particle size, such as high surface area, high reactivity per mass, and discrete particulate morphology. Applications environments, however, are often averse to maintaining the properties associated with the discrete, small particulate nature of nanoparticles.
Therefore, it would be desirable to create a composite nanoparticle system enabling nanoparticle applications in adverse application environments. Such a morphology could be applied to a range of unique applications, including but not limited to catalysts, electro-magnetic materials, chemically passive materials, and economically advantaged materials.